Te Puna residents are facing an anxious wait on the future of their long-standing war memorial hall, with plans looming to replace the historic building with a roundabout to ease the site's traffic woes.

Te Puna Memorial Hall committee member Rosaleen Holmes, outside the hall on State Highway 2. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

The New Zealand Transport Agency has awarded a $135,000 design contract to Opus Consultants to upgrade the Te Puna and Minden roads' intersection with State Highway 2.

As result, a roundabout has been identified as the best solution to improve driver safety at the 'busy” intersection, with work scheduled to begin in 2015.

But Te Puna War Memorial Hall committee member Rosaleen Holmes is seeking reassurance from Western Bay of Plenty District Council and the NZTA that the historic hall will not disappear forever.

While admitting the junction is dangerous and 'something needs to be done to make it more safe”, Rosaleen says her committee feels they've been 'left in the dark” over its future.

'The plans at the time [last July] clearly showed the hall could not remain on that site,” says Rosaleen, who says the committee hasn't been consulted with by WBOPDC or NZTA since.

In 1922 the Armstrong family donated the land for the hall to be built, to commemorate those from Te Puna who fought in World War 1 – with one in three servicemen not returning.

'It was a huge sacrifice – and we shouldn't forget that this hall was built with money from the community and volunteer labour as a memorial hall,” says Rosaleen.

A committee member for more than four years, Rosaleen says the development of surrounding subdivisions highlights the need to retain an activity-based facility, to meet requirements of the growing community.

During the last year, the hall's popularity in hosting various events has grown exponentially to include 11 weekly classes attracting more than 200 people – involved in Zumba, Yoga and a post-natal exercise class.

'I worry about whether there is going to be too big a gap between the demolition, or removal, or revamping of the present hall, and the time it takes for a new venue to be fully operational.”

WBOPDC engineering services group manager Gary Allis says there is no definitive outcome on the hall's future, as consultation with Rosaleen's committee and Te Puna Heartlands, followed by residents and ratepayers, starts next month.

Gary says discussions with the community will be on the basis the hall has to be removed, to make way for the state highway's intersection improvements, and how should it be relocated or replaced.

'If relocated, where is the best location? And if replaced with a new facility, what sort of facility and where?”

'If the hall has to go, because of the intersection improvements, it gives the community a once in 50-year opportunity to be involved in its future form and location.”

NZTA highways manager Brett Gliddon says to progress with the design phase of the project, a decision needs to be made on the current location of the hall, with public consultation being vital.

The detailed design process is expected to take several months and will incorporate stakeholder and community feedback.